Electric lamp socket



J 1931- ECKSTEIN ELECTRIC LAMP SOCKET Filed April 16, 1927 hm w m//////////////// Reuben Ec/nsz: in

INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented June 3 0, 1931 PATENT OFFICE REUBEN ECKSTEIN, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC LAMP sooxn'r Application filed April 16, 1927. Serial N5. 184,279.

g This invention relates to electric lamp sockets for Christmas tree lighting outfits and the like purposes anda method ofmakmg same.

It is the object of this invention to generally simplify the construction and method of manufacture of lamp sockets of the character described. More particularly, the invention contemplates the provision of a lamp socket ofsuch character in which the parts areassembled in a simple and quick manner to form a rugged, practical structure and yet permit of ready disassembly thereof if on testingthe assembled socket, defects appear. This reduces to a minimum the usual manufacturing losses due to defective assembly.

A further object of the invention is to provide a lampsocket of the character described, comprising few andsimple parts, which shall be comparatively cheap to manufacture, and practical and efficient to a high degree in use;'and further to provide a process for the making of such device which may be simple, cheap and economical to carry out.

Other objects of this invention will in part be'obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claims.

' 'In the accompanying drawings, in which is shown one of the various possible illustrative embodiments of this invention, 7

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an electric lamp socket embodying the invention showing the interior construction; I

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional View of the body of the improved electric lamp socket showing the shell contact moulded therein;

. Fig. 3 is a front elevational view showing the lamp socket in the course of assembly;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional View taken on line 4-4: in Fig. 1; and t Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail Viewof the removable plate terminal.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 10 denotes anelectric lamp socket embodying the invention. Said socket comprises a body 11 made of insulating material, such as Bakelite, suitably shaped and molded. Said body' 11 includes a cylindrical side wall 12 and an end wall 13 forming a housing for the current carrying parts of the socket.

Moulded in the socket body interiorly 0 said walls is the current carrying screw contact shell 14 adapted to receive the base 26 of a bulb B in the well understood manner, said shell being provided with an inwardly turned rim portion 15 at the wall 13 of the socket to form a seat for other current carrying parts in the manner hereinafter to appear. I

A lead 16 extends through a passage 17 in the wall 13, and has its end soldered or otherwise secured in an opening 18 of a terminal plate 19. The latter has a segmental flange 2O bearing on the rim portion 15 which pro- Vides a substantial contact therewith for connecting the shell 14 to one side of the electrical supply through said lead 16. The portion of said plate 19 forming the rim of the opening 18 may be extended downwardly into the passage 17 so as to be engaged therein for retaining the terminal plate 19 against lateral shifting thus providing reliable contact with the shell rim portion 15.

A center contact 21 is provided in the socket 10 which is seen to comprise an eyelet 22 connected to the other lead 23 from the power supply, said eyelet being mounted centrally to extend through an insulating disc 25 fitted into the contact shell. The lead 23 extends through a passage 24: in the socket wall 13 parallelly spaced from the passage 17 and is soldered or otherwise suitably connected to the eyelet. A second insulating disc 26 perforated centrally to receive the lead 23 is disposed beneath the disc25 to effectively insulate terminal plate 19 from the center contact 21 orany exposed portion of the lead 23. The insulating discs closely overlie the terminal plate 19 and are'snugly fitted in the contact shell for retaining the socket parts in assembly.

The novel method of manufacturing the improved electric lamp socket 10 will now be described. The contact shell 14 is moulded directly into the body 12 of the socket, thus forming a unitary structure therewlth. The

- leads 16 and 23 are then inserted through the passages 17 and 24, respectively. The terminal plate 19 and the center contact 21 are then soldered to their respective leads 16B and 23, respectively, the lead 23 being first thread- 7 ed through the insulating disc 26. 1 The'leads 16 and 23 are next pulled down to seat the terminalplate 19 on the shell rim and to lit the center contact'intoi the socket with the" insulating disc'26 interposed between the ter- 7 minal plate and the center contact, as is clear- 1y shown in Fig. 1. The current carrying partsof the lamp socket are'theii compactly fitted inposition inthe: shell and said socket is ready toreceive the base 27 of a bulb B, said parts being tightly clamped to-getheron screwing the lamp :base intozthe shell 14.

The improved methodof construction described above permits the disassemb-lyof'the current carrying. parts in: case the lamp socket when tested proves defective. This is p a valuable improvement in the manufacture :of relatively inexpensive class of :lamp sockets whereof the current carrying parts are generally secured} permanently together in V the assembling thereof and consequent defective lamp sockets 'are-re ected and scrapped since it does not pay *to. disassemblaloczite and-replace the defective parts. Thisloss is entirely eliminated in the improved construction above-described since the-parts may be readily dismounted, inspected and any defectiveipart replaced.

7 It will thus beseen thatthere'is provided a device in whichrth e several objects of this invention are achieved,andwhichis well 1 adaptedto meet the conidition's of practical J use. I

' .As various possible embodiments mightbe made of the, above invention, and as various changes might .bemade in "the e-mbodiment above set forth, it is to beunderstood that. all

,-matter herein set for-thorshownin-the accompanying drawings is'to be interpreted as Having thus-described myrinventionyl 'Cl2L1II1'aS new and desi-rezto secure by Letters illustrative'and'not in a limiting sense. 7

..: Patent: r

- 1. An-electric lampsocket-comprising a body; of.- insulating material having an end Wall, a contact shell in said bodyextending downtosaid-end wall adapted to receivethe 2. An electric lamp socket comprising a body of insulating material having an end Wall, a contact shell embedded in said body and against said wall adapted to receive the base of a bulb, said shell having an inwardly turned rim portion at said wall, said wall havingpassages adapted to receive leads for connecting'the: socket to a source ofielectrical supply, a terminal plate having an extension "flan e seated on said rim -ortion connectin l'J t b .the shell to one-:iof Zthe leads, said terminal plate having a. projecting portion extending into one of said passages to retain said plate against d splacement.

In an'elect'ric lamp socket, the combina- I terminalplate seated on saidirim portionand connectedato a lead wire extending thrusaid body, an insulating disc having an opening therein seated on saidterminal plate, and a central contact member seated on saidinsulating disc, said central contact memberbeing secured to a lead wire extendingthrdsaid opening and said body. V H It i In testimony whereof I affixlmysignature.

BE BE EoKsT iN.

:base of a-bulb, said shell havinganinwardly turned rim portioniat said end Wall, a termi I nal plate'having a flange seated onsaid rim portion for connecting the shellto onexside of the electrical supply, a center contact for r v the socket,- and an insulating; disc detachably 7 fitted in th'esshell and demoi'mtably supporting said center contact, saidinsulating disc I bearingagainst therterminal-platetoaret ain the/"flange thereof in;contact with-the rim'portion oftheishell. 

